There’s been a sombre moment for many at the RNLI recently, as we pause to mark the death of the RNLI’s Patron Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and reflect on a remarkable legacy.
Queen Elizabeth II had a love for the sea and was known to enjoy sailing, so we share with you above an image from onboard HMY Britannia in March 1972. The photograph is part of the Lichfield Archive.
For more on the RNLI’s longest-serving patron please see your copy of Lifeboat magazine, which contains a six-page feature on page 18.
Highlights of winter Offshore magazine include a closer look at food for watersports (page 4) and a sailing rescue story from Youghal shared by Offshore reader Peter Connon and his family (page 11).
As you embark on your watery winter adventures, we encourage you to refresh your safety knowledge and stay wellprepared for any eventuality.
With warm wishes,
Email: offshore@rnli.org.uk
'Surf kayaking is essentially riding waves in or on a kayak'
Show your support for our lifesaving crew. With a toggle and rope attachment, the RNLI house flag can be flown easily from most flagpoles. Or, alternatively, can be hung on a wall.
REF: RS2236502
Available in three sizes: Small (£10), Medium (£12), Large (£14)
Whether you’re an experienced kayaker or a complete novice, surf kayaking has something for every level of ability. But what is it?
‘Surf kayaking is essentially riding waves in or on a kayak,’ explains paddlesports coach Glyn Brackenbury. ‘It’s most popular around more exposed coastlines where swells arrive uninterrupted and generate surfable waves – but any beach with even a small wave on it is enough to get a boat going in towards the shore.’
In this issue of Offshore, quotes, practical advice and lifesaving tips are brought to you by:
When surf kayaking, our key safety tips are to ensure you wear a buoyancy aid and leash if you’re in a sit-on-top kayak and, where possible, to surf at an RNLI lifeguarded beach between the black and white chequered flags.
RISK: COST:
FUN FACTOR:
FIND OUT MORE britishcanoeing.org.uk/competition/surf-kayak
Glyn is a former British Surf Kayak Champion and chairs the discipline's technical committee for British Canoeing.
Pip’s clocked over 300,000 miles across the world’s oceans and completed the 2020 Vendée Globe race.
RNLI LIFEBOAT TRAINER
Adam trains volunteer lifeboat crew members in how to save lives at sea and keep themselves and their fellow crew safe as they do so.
RNLI NATIONAL WATER SAFETY PARTNER
Sam collaborates with the RYA and other governing bodies on water safety programmes, and is also a keen sailor.
©RNLI 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction is permitted with the prior consent of the RNLI. Opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publishers. Care is taken to ensure that editorial information is correct at the time of going to press but is subject to change.
If
‘Getting some coaching will help you learn faster and can teach you about safety etiquette within the surf community’
‘I’m vegan, have a gluten-free diet, and wanted to ensure the food I sourced wasn’t packaged in single use plastic' Sian Sykes, paddleboarding adventurer and instructor
Pip Hare is a pro sailor who, in 2020, became the eighth woman to complete the single-handed Vendée Globe Race
A highly qualified and experienced SUP instructor and adventurer, Sian completed the first SUP circumnavigation of Wales
In 2020, ocean racing sailor Pip Hare competed in the Vendée Globe – a single-handed, unassisted, non-stop, round-the-world yacht race, considered 'the Everest of the sea.’ Ninety-five days and 24,000 miles later, Pip became the eighth woman to complete the race. And Pip and her team have their sights set on the Vendée Globe 2024, determined to be faster and fitter. Meeting Pip’s nutritional needs in demanding environments is vital for both safety and performance. Operations Director Lou Adams gives us a glimpse into Pip’s food prep and packing: ‘We work with a base of roughly 3,000 calories a day. By weighing Pip at the start and end of each race, we’re able to calculate if she’s getting enough. In the Vendée, we needed to increase Pip’s calories for the Southern Ocean to account for a higher burn rate from the extreme cold.’
and they typically contain 3–4 freeze-dried meals – a great option as they’re light and convenient and provide the right balance of micro- and macronutrients. These are supplemented with snacks including fruit bars, dried fruit, sardines and peanut butter.
Timo is one of the top wave sailors from Ireland and a two-time British Windsurfing Champion
Whether it’s baking hot or bitterly cold, keeping fuelled and hydrated in extreme conditions is challenging. Pip says: 'When I’m offshore for extended periods in extreme conditions, I’m pushing my body all the time and need to consume many more calories than I’m used to onshore. I need to be eating little and often and drinking consciously. When I’m racing, I sweat a lot. So things like multivitamins and supplements, as well as electrolytes – which I add to my desalinated seawater – are vital in replacing lost sodium and minerals. I also take plenty of caffeine-free and herbal teas.’
Mel packs Pip’s daily food bags according to race length and intensity,
But there’s always room for a little extra sweetness. Pip's favourite treat at sea? A square of oat-milk chocolate with a cuppa!
You can keep up to date with Pip’s racing at piphare.com
‘My daily focus was to paddle safely, complete the trip on time, and minimise my impact on the environment,’ says Sian Sykes, owner of Psyched Paddleboarding on Anglesey and the first person to stand up paddleboard (SUP) around Wales.
The trip, which raised money for the RNLI, Surfers Against Sewage, and North Wales Wildlife Trust, took 60 days. Some of those required more endurance than others: ‘I began my trip during
As the most vital and advanced technology that you own, the vessel of your body needs looking after every bit as much as your board or boat. By giving your body the right fuel at the right time, not only will you perform better, you’ll stay safer on the water. We asked three watersports pros and one crew member how they navigate their individual nutritional needs.
the Beast from the East and paddled depending on conditions, sometimes at sea for 12–14 hours, covering 44 miles. I needed to regularly refuel and hydrate or I’d run out of energy in those conditions.
‘I’m vegan, have a gluten-free diet, and wanted to ensure the food I sourced wasn’t packaged in single use plastic. So I worked with Firepot Foods for my dehydrated expedition meals. They got the balance of protein, carbohydrate and taste just right – and the packaging is compostable. For longer trips, I make protein-packed power balls and I snack on dried fruit and nuts. On local trips, I can get more creative: homemade Bircher (overnight oats) with chia, flax seeds, berries, black pepper, turmeric and cardamon is nutritious and delicious.
‘I’m on the water every day teaching and training. Understanding and listening to my body is key and I finetune my eating routine based on my needs, performance, time of the month, dietary requirements and environmental focus. This allows me to adapt
when to
'
We needed to increase Pip’s calories for the Southern Ocean to account for a higher burn rate from the extreme cold’
Mel Cooke, Campaign Support Manager, Pip Hare Ocean Racing
'
If you get a cramp because you didn’t drink enough, not only is your competition over, you’re not going to be able to swim in and that means putting someone else’s life in danger'
Timo Mullen, Champion Windsurfer
or on an expedition, based on how I feel and what my body is asking for. I’m disciplined about hydration – staying on top of this keeps me switched on and able to perform.’
Sian’s next big expedition is planned for 2023 – you can follow her journey at siansykes.com.
‘As part of my job, I get sent to all the weird, wonderful and cold places that no one thinks of for great windsurfing,’ says pro windsurfer and two time British Champion Timo Mullen. ‘And at competitions, they’ll put you out in anything. So I try to train in the worst conditions, for the worst conditions.
‘In the same way, I like to keep my nutrition consistent. I eat the same way
every day so that when it comes to a competition I’m not thrown. This consistency helps me stay relaxed, focused and, ultimately, perform better.
‘As useful as they can be, I don’t take supplements or use gels, protein shakes or electrolytes – for a similar reason. They might not be available in the remote locations I’m sometimes sent to and that could throw off my mental game.
‘I start the day with plenty of water, and granola with yoghurt or a simple omelette. Competition heats last 15 minutes and I can be surfing up to 10 a day, so I top up in between on hot soup, peanuts or a bite of banana. Afterwards, I’ll eat avocado, meat, fish or chicken, and some carbs to help muscle repair.
‘Drinking plenty of water is essential because there’s nothing you can do once you’re dehydrated. The last thing I want
The RNLI’s mission is to save every one. For me and my crew, that can mean leaping out of bed in the middle of the night or jumping up just as you’ve sat down for lunch.
Being cold and hungry makes it harder to stay focused on a long search, so stations stock their allweather lifeboat with basics like dried pasta and noodle ready meals for easyto-make-and-digest carbohydrates, as well as snacks like bars – including the chocolate kind! – for a quick boost of energy and morale.
Hydration is crucial, particularly on a long shout, so we carry plenty of water, as well as warm drinks like cup soups, tea and coffee – essential on long, cold nights.
is to be taken out by something like toe cramps! And if you get a cramp, not only is your competition over but you’re also not going to be able to swim in – and that means putting someone else in danger.’
The physical demands of your particular watersport will vary depending on its type, intensity and duration, as well as your unique body, so Offshore recommends that you seek professional advice for your own nutritional needs. ■
STAY SAFE Find safety advice for your watersport at RNLI.org/safety
Words: James Dwyer Photos: RNLI/(Paul Appleton, Henry Doe, Nigel Millard, Nathan Williams) DAVE TURNBULL COXSWAIN/MECHANIC AT SWANAGE LIFEBOAT STATION'
Understanding and listening to my body is key for me’
'Hydration is crucial ... on a long shout'
You’re sure to fall in love with Little and Broad Haven. Our neighbouring villages attract many repeat visitors, people who’ve visited since childhood now bring their children and grandchildren. I grew up here and am now back raising my own family. I love the sea: walking by it, swimming in it, looking at it, and listening to the sound of it.
St Bride’s Bay is an idyllic sheltered cove popular with divers, surfers, paddleboarders and kitesurfers. And Newsurf Sports Centre offers surf and paddleboarding equipment hire, as well as surfing lessons. The Bluetits cold water swimming group was founded here in Pembrokeshire. Today it’s a popular, global activity where people swim or take a dip in the sea all year long.
With the villages being part of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, there are beautiful walks along the coastline. And one of the annual highlights in the summer is a visit to Skomer Island from Martin’s Haven to see the puffins. David Attenborough visited the island in June last year for the new BBC series Wild Isles
thebluetits.co.uk, newsurf.co.uk pembrokeshirecoast.wales welshwildlife.org
I love the atmosphere of our small friendly community in Cardigan, next-door to Pembrokeshire in Ceredigion. Cardigan Lifeboat Station has beautiful views: it’s directly on
Poppit Sands Beach, looking out over Cardigan Island and the Teifi Estuary. You can’t beat it. The Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire Coast Paths meet at St Dogmaels. Newport to the south is a traditional Welsh community like Cardigan and offers two of the best beaches – each side of the Nevern Estuary. The town's Welsh name, Trefdraeth, translates to Beach Town. Paddleboarding, kayaking and windsurfing are popular and there are schools offering tuition. West Coast Paddle Company is run by Crew Member Andrew Thomas, offering instruction for beginners and advanced paddlers alike.
Cardigan Castle is the birthplace of Wales’s iconic language and culture festival in August: the National Eisteddfod, founded in 1176!
FIND OUT MORE
westcoastpaddle.co.uk, eisteddfod.wales, visitpembrokeshire.com
Commemorative plaque at Cardigan Castle reading: ‘Here in 1176 the tradition of the Welsh Eisteddfod began’
‘Cardigan Lifeboat Station has beautiful views ... you can’t beat it.’
‘… I just love being so close to the sea – walking by it, swimming in it, looking at it ... the sound of it.’
The southern part of Pembrokeshire is known as ‘Little England beyond Wales’ because it’s more English in language and culture than Welsh. In fact, many people say that the Pembrokeshire accent here sounds like the Cornish accent. That said, you get to meet a diverse range of visitors from all parts of the world. For me, that’s the beauty of this part of Pembrokeshire –the people, the characters and the community.
Milford Haven Waterway is a popular area for sailing and a great place to learn. The Welsh National Surfing Championships are held here at Freshwater West – one of the best beaches for surfing. The beach was also featured in the 2010 film Robin Hood
Welsh Whisky Galore! after the film about a similar 1941 disaster in Scotland.
There’s a lot of history in and around Angle. The shores of the Haven are full of Napoleonic sea forts. The closest one is Chapel Bay Fort and Museum on the North Hill at Angle. It’s on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, which offers walks for all abilities.
Angle really is a beautiful spot and I feel lucky to have lived here all my life.
‘… of the people, the characters, and the community. You get to meet a diverse range of people.’
There are some popular dive sites –we had many disasters in the old sailing ship days. One of the most famous wrecks dates back to 1894 when the schooner Loch Shiel struck rocks at Thorne Island. Laden with a cargo of whisky, the wreck is known as the
TELL US WHERE YOU LOVE
FIND OUT MORE mhpa.co.uk/fun-on-the-waterway nationaltrust.org.uk/features/ freshwater-west-beach ■
Words: Vicki Lovegrove-Fray
Photos: Bluetits Chill Swimmers, RNLI/(Angle, Little and Broad Haven, Sarah Morgan, Andy Parish), Shutterstock.com
Let us know which area of coastline you’d like to see here in future issues by emailing offshore@rnli.org.uk.
Pembrokeshire is enjoyed both above and below the water Find breeding Atlantic puffins at Skomer Island There's some great surfing to be had Milford Haven Waterway is popular for sailing CARYS SPENCE CREW MEMBER AT LITTLE AND BROAD HAVEN DANIEL RICHARDS COXSWAIN AT ANGLE OLIVER JAMES TRAINEE CREW MEMBER AT CARDIGANAN INVIGORATING SAIL TURNED INTO A NEAR TRAGEDY. BUT THANKFULLY, PETER CONNON AND HIS FAMILY WERE PREPARED.
On Easter Monday 2021, Peter and four teenage members of his family set sail from Pilmore Beach aboard two sailing dinghies. Peter was aboard with two young relatives, while his son Harry (14) and another nephew crewed the second dinghy. There was a gentle north-east wind, enough for them to set out at a pace on a port tack beam reach. They planned to sail south, towards the south-east coast of Capel Island off Knockadoon Head, before turning round and heading back to Pilmore Beach. It was a route they knew well. Only this time three of them never reached their turning point.
'We encountered a brusque squall of weather that, despite our efforts, resulted in the capsizing of the boat I was in,’ Peter recalls. ‘Our Seago Classic 190 lifejackets inflated automatically, and I was thankful I’d checked the integrity of their gas cylinders the previous day. I helped Laura and Harry out of the very cold sea and onto the top of the now completely upturned craft.
‘My mobile phone in its water-tight container – that I had carefully stored in the bow of the boat – was lost to the sea. And Harry's phone was damaged, despite being kept in a Ziploc bag. His 999 call was cut short. Thankfully, we were not alone.’
LIFEBOATs: Youghal B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Gordon and Phil Ballycotton Trent class all-weather lifeboat Austin Lidbury
2x lifeboats Force 3–4, northeasterly Moderate with a 2m swell
DISASTER STRIKES AGAIN James and Michael had reached the turning point and were tacking for home when they realised what had happened to their fellow sailors.
They changed course and headed straight for the capsized boat. But in the deteriorating wind and sea conditions, they were unable to heave to and pick up the stranded crew.
Before making a second attempt, they managed to call 999 and ask for the Coast Guard. Then, on their second try, disaster struck again: James and Michael capsized too. However, as they were carrying a personal locator beacon (PLB), they were able to use it to alert the Coast Guard to their exact location.
'With people in the water, there was a strong sense of urgency onboard the lifeboat,’ says Youghal Lifeboat Helm Eric Brooks. 'En route, Dublin Coast Guard radioed to say they’d received a signal from a PLB. This gave us the exact latitude and longitude of the casualties, which saved vital time.’
‘When the first three casualties said there was another capsized boat, we were surprised,’ says Crew Member and Helm Liam Keogh. ‘We’d only received information about
Pilmore Beach – The dinghies launched from here.
Knockadoon Pier – The casualties were brought to shore here by Youghal lifeboat crew and transferred into the care of ambulance and Coast Guard teams.
Capel Island – The dinghies capsized while sailing to Capel Island.
Youghal Lifeboat Station – The crew launched their B class Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Gordon and Phil at 3.29pm.
‘ Four phones were destroyed that day, reiterating the vital importance of the PLB’
Dinghy sailor Peter Connon
one boat and so didn’t realise the PLB had been activated by a second boat crew.’
Without their means of calling for help, especially their PLB, they wouldn’t be here today,’ says Eric. ‘They were already suffering from mild hypothermia, which would have gotten more severe very quickly.’
Youghal lifeboat crew picked up all five family members and transferred them the short distance to Knockadoon Pier, where ambulance and Coast Guard teams were waiting. Ballycotton all-weather lifeboat crew, who’d launched on standby, and the Irish Lights Vessel (ILV) Granuaile, which was servicing offshore buoys in the area, helped to recover the upturned dinghies.
‘I can’t describe the feeling of joy when you see those big orange lifeboats come into view,’ says Peter. ‘I’m a big man, but we were scooped into that lifeboat like we weighed nothing, and the RNLI crew were just so professional.’
‘Peter and his family did everything right. They’d attended sailing courses. They stayed with their craft. They were wearing the right PPE – lifejackets and wetsuits. They were carrying mobile phones in waterproof pouches – some of which still perished in the water. But their fail-safe on this occasion was a personal locator beacon (PLB).
‘When activated, PLBs use search and rescue satellites to send a clear message to the coastguard that you’re in trouble. The coastguard then sends search and rescue assets out to the PLB’s GPS position. They work on the 406MHz distress frequency and a 121.5MHz frequency, which means lifeboats can home in on the device once they get closer, just as Youghal did.’
• Unlimited range – you can get help from anywhere in the world.
• A beacon is a recognised way of calling of help.
• The PLB's antenna needs a clear line of sight to the sky to pick up the orbiting satellites.
• A PLB needs to be registered with the coastguard. It belongs to you only, so you shouldn’t lend it to friends.
Learn more about how to call for help at sea by visiting RNLI.org/CallForHelp or turning to page 14 ■
Offshore is a community to share our experiences and broaden our horizons. Do you have a story you can share about ways you’re advancing a watersport, or about a time things went wrong on the water? If so, please email offshore@rnli.org.uk
Words: Vicki Lovegrove-Fray‘
We saved five lives, which is a brilliant outcome. I felt very proud of my crew’ Eric Brooks, Helm at Youghal Lifeboat StationLifeboat crews members from Youghal (above) and Ballycotton (below) launched to the rescue NICK FECHER | RNLI WATER SAFETY DELIVERY SUPPORT Lifeboat crew members from Youghal involved in the rescue. L–R: Crew Member Kevin Daly, Helm Eric Brooks, and Crew Member and Helm Mick Brooks. Inset: Crew Member and Helm Liam Keogh.
Nobody goes out on the water expecting they’ll need to call for help but accidents happen. If you’re carrying a means of calling for help on your body or on your craft, you have the best chance of being able to raise the alarm – and of being rescued.
'Whether it’s a boat with a mechanical failure drifting towards a shipping lane or a kayaker in distress, being able to call for help in an emergency is crucial,' says RNLI National Water Safety Partner Sam Hughes. 'The earlier the call for help is made, the bigger the window of opportunity for our lifesavers to save every one.'
'Depending on the activity, there are various systems you can use to call for help – including handheld VHF radios and personal locator beacons (PLBs). Look especially for approved Global Marine Distress Safety Systems (GMDSS), which can be found in a chandlery or online.
'There are other important considerations. Though your mobile phone will try to use another network for an emergency call, signal can be lost around the coast. An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) must be registered to your vessel, a PLB needs to be registered with the coastguard, and you need a licence for a handheld VHF radio.
'How you carry the system also needs to work for your context. For instance, open water swimmers can carry a mobile phone in a tow float and scuba divers can carry a PLB in a pressure-tested waterproof case, activating it on the surface in an emergency.'
If you get into trouble on the water, you want to be sure you have a dependable way of calling for help
Useful for individual watersports and boating, wear it on your person in a waterproof pouch. In an emergency call 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard. The RYA or Irish Sailing SafeTrx app can log, track and send alerts about your trip. Network range is generally poor around the coast, although coverage for voice calls is usually better than data.
Use Channel 16 to send a distress alert and a mayday voice call. Some devices also have Digital Selective Calling (DSC), which transmits your location. Requires a licence.
A recognised and reliable means of calling for help, using search and rescue satellites to alert the coastguard to your GPS location once manually activated. Carry it on your person. Must be registered with the coastguard.
You’re preparing to set sail when fog rolls in. You have radar onboard.
What do you do next?
Head out, knowing you can rely on radar if visibility becomes too poor.
Make an assessment based on your operating area and the other equipment you have onboard.
Rearrange to sail another day.
RNLI LIFEBOAT TRAINERSailing in fog brings higher collision risk and complicates navigation. Radar is a very useful tool in areas of restricted visibility – but this alone won’t increase your chances of being detected by others (A).
Using radar, as well as an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver and a VHF radio, will help you to detect others so you can try to avoid close-quarter situations developing. But you also need to be detectable yourself. An AIS transmitter and radar reflector will be invaluable. Make sure you switch on your navigation lights and use the appropriate sound signal. Also consider shining a white torch on your sail and having a white collision avoidance flare to hand.
With all this in mind, consider the necessity of the trip – it might be wise to wait until the fog has cleared. So if you chose B or C, you picked the correct answers.
lifeboat launches at night
*Data from 2021 operational statistics
Every year, RNLI lifesavers get called out to help sailors caught in fog. Last August, the crew at Kirkwall were jolted awake when the pager sounded at 1.30am on a Monday. Two people had raised the alarm out at sea after their yacht lost power and began drifting in the wind, surrounded by darkness and thick fog. It took the lifeboat volunteers over an hour to reach the yacht, which had drifted 3 miles south of Copinsay. Visibility was incredibly poor and, with hours still before sunrise, the Kirkwall
crew determined the safest course of action was to tow the yacht into calmer conditions. At 6.15am, the lifeboat volunteers managed to secure the yacht safely alongside the marina in Kirkwall and, with everyone safe and well, the Severn class lifeboat returned to station to be refuelled and made ready for the next emergency.
For more rescue stories, visit RNLI.org/magazine ■
Photos: RNLI/(Kirkwall RNKLI, Nathan Williams) The Kirkwall lifeboat volunteers bring the powerless yacht to safety after a 5-hour journey in poor conditions ADAM O'NEILL